COLONEL SAAB

A top tip for a West End dining treat. I do love my visits to London to see theatre and I particularly like to see a matinee. You can set off post rush hour when train tickets are a little less scary and arrive with plenty of time before curtain up and then, post show, have an early dinner in the smoke.

The West End of course has more eateries than you can shake a stick at, and at prices that range from reasonable to expensive. Back in my twenties I would have used the word cheap but even my favourite Soho haunts now command much higher prices even though the food, and surroundings, are much the same.

So on this occasion with a recommendation Mr L and I, yes he is still around, headed to Colonel Saab in William IV Street close to Trafalgar Square and the Trafalgar Theatre where we had just indulged in the musical manifestation of Clueless, a witty and exuberantly joyous confection.

Colonel Saab currently are offering a set menu matched to the show with cleverly penned names for the dishes. It’s a five course feast of a meal, not one of those tasting menus where you leave feeling peckish, this is generous stuff for sure and starts with an intriguing vodka cocktail that has a subtle hint of anise and sweet hint of raspberry and rose, rather stylish and rather pokey too if you like your cocktails strong.

First out was an amuse bouche, a delicately and fragrantly spiced muffin topped with whipped curd and the fascinating addition of candied peel. It countered the cocktail so well and that balance of sweet and savoury was expertly delivered.

Next from the choice of starters Mr L went for the chicken tikka with a vibrant green herb sauce. Frankly this was the best and most succulent tikka I have every experienced, and there were four huge pieces which he kindly shared, on the understanding that I would do the same.

Which of course I did. My chicken chop was a more robustly spiced dish, shredded chicken formed into moist patties that had been breadcrumbed and fried. The spicing was amazing, zinging along but not destroying my palate, that kind of spice skill is admirable, too many times an over heated starter can ruin the rest of a meal but not here. And the cherry tomato chutney was a delicious balm for the whole dish and the thinly sliced heritage carrots and beetroots added a cooling crunch. It looked exquisite but not at the expense of being a satisfying portion of food.

Apologies now for both Mr L and I choosing the same main course but the prawn mollee was just too tempting. Now I have an aversion to being served a prawn dish where I can count the sweet crustaceans with ease. Five or less and I feel cheated, unless of course they are those giant jingha that are about the size of a doll’s arm, those I will excuse. These were in a quantity beyond my pedantic counting but the number was immaterial as they scored high on two counts. Firstly they were a decent size and perfect in texture. There is nothing worse or more worrying than a mushy prawn and nothing more disappointing than a rubbery one. These were taut, the perfect texture for a prawn, they were flavoursome and they were not drowned out by the pale and delicately spiced coconut sauce, a sauce that was so good I finished it off with my spoon. With it came clean and simple white rice and a crisp naan bread, exactly what was needed and again in generous quantities. How I tire of dainty portions in modern restaurants served up at a hefty price – FEED ME!

Colonel Saab certainly did feed me and a rather good cheese cake style dessert left me fully sated and smiling.

The restaurant is very comfortable and very glamorous, the walls bedecked with vintage photographs in ornate frames and the room illuminated by an extraordinarily ornate and colossal chandelier. It made the whole experience feel rather grand and add to this exemplary service, charming but not cloying, helpful but not patronising, and, judging by the clientele, this food is pretty authentic. Would I go back? Oh yes, this was a perfect way to end a fun day in the city.

Colonel Saab

42 William IV St,
London WC2N 4DD

reservations@colonelsaab.co.uk

020 8016 6800